What Once Was
by Mireath Warrior
Summary: You want some serious Lyude angst? Well, this is it right here. Takes place after the game, so beware of some spoilers. On hiatus right now due to lack of time andor enthusiasm to complete. Lo siento.
1. Part One

Disclaimer: I do not own Baten Kaitos, Lyude, Vallye, Skeed, or any of the other characters. They belong to Namco, not me.

Part One:

As I cowered in the darkness of the alley, I hoped dearly that they wouldn't find me. I could not let that happen, not this time. Kalas and the others were not with me now, not since we had parted ways. But there was no way I'd survive alone. All I could do was flee and hide.

I heard the sound of footsteps on the near street and froze. They passed by and I breathed out a sigh of relief, but just as I did, I heard them stop and come back, headed right in my direction. I pressed myself up against the wall as hard as I could, hoping that the darkness would be enough to cover me. The footsteps came slowly nearer, moving back and forth across the alley, searching. And then, as they came not three feet from where I hid, came the voices, angry and frustrated, that belonged to them. "Where is he?" hissed one voice as the figure it belonged to stepped into my view. Skeed.

And then another dark silhouette appeared, that of my sister. "He's here somewhere. I can feel his presence, the wretched worm," she answered, her eyes searching.

I swallowed hard and prayed desperately that she would not see me. Like a child, I shut my eyes tight, hoping that somehow, that would hide me from her gaze. For a moment, I sensed her eyes on me. Had she seen me there, hiding in the shadows?

I dared to open my eyes and saw with relief her gaze staring further down the alley. "He must be down that way," I heard her say and to my disbelief, she and Skeed disappeared deeper into the dark.

Now was my chance. I had to flee before they returned this way. I bolted out of the alleyway and began running towards the city's edge, toward the ocean where I could stow away on an outgoing ship. The entire way, I hoped that my siblings had not heard me fleeing the alley. I took a quick glance over my shoulder and saw no one but ordinary citizens walking about, minding their own business. Good. I might just get away after all and I can't believe it.

They had been hunting me for hours now, pursuing me ruthlessly like desperate scavengers for something to feed on. I didn't even know why they wanted to catch me so badly. All I'd heard was something about a god infinitely more evil than Malpercio and something about making me sing. I had no idea what it all meant, but I knew their intentions were fell.

At last I came to the docks, but there were not ships save for one some leagues away on the open ocean. Oh but that I had Wings of the Heart! For I could have flown to that ship and gone with it. But of course, now that the ocean was returned to us, nobody had wings for none needed them.

Except for me. I needed them. Badly.

I looked behind me again and still did not see either Skeed or Vallye. But what was I going to do? If I stayed on Alfard, it would only be a matter of time before they found me. I could hide somewhere near the docks and wait for a ship, but how long could I hide before I was discovered?

I decided to take a chance and ran for a dark corner between two buildings. Then to my utter despair a woman carrying a heavy basket called out to me: "Hey you! Yes, you with the red hair in the uniform. Do you mind carrying this basket for me? You see, I am an old woman and I'm afraid if I go any further, it'll break my back."

I stopped and went to her with great reluctance. I could only hope Skeed and Vallye weren't anywhere near.

"So will you help me?" the woman said, setting down the basket. "I just need someone to carry it home for me. I don't live far."

"Alright, I'll help you, but I'm rather busy now, so if you don't mind, let us go as quickly as possible," I said as I picked up the basket with some effort. Where _were_ those two anyway? I was glad that they hadn't caught me yet, but somehow their absence unnerved me even more. Surely they would have figured out that I was no longer in that alley by now.

"Thank you, young man," said the woman, but I wasn't really paying attention.

"Yes…uh, sure. Now where's your house?"

"Well, you _are_ in a hurry now, aren't you? Alright then, it's this way. Follow me."

She started down the street and I followed, my eyes frantically searching for my siblings. "You know," said the old woman as we headed right down the same street I'd just fled from. "You have beautiful eyes—as scarlet as the flowers in Anuenue."

"Er…thanks…I suppose. How much further to your house?" I was becoming more nervous by the second. I half expected them to jump out and take me at the end of every alleyway.

"My, you seem flustered! Don't let your business become an obsession or you're going to live your whole life in constant worry like that. That's not good for your health, you know."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Vallye and Skeed moving in the shadows. "Uh…yeah. Are we there yet?"

The woman laughed. "Don't worry, we're nearly there and then you can get back to whatever it was that you were doing. What is your name, by the way?"

"L-Lyude," I answered and just about slapped myself for giving away my name like that. Yes, fantastic job, Lyude. Just tell people who you are and make it easy for them to find you.

"Lyude, you say? The same Lyude that was involved in the Azha incident?"

"If it pleases you, I would rather not talk about that."

"Ah! So you _are_ him! I thought I knew your face. Well, I won't mention it anymore if you don't want. It's the least I can do since you agreed to carry that basket for me. At any rate, here we are. Let me just open up the door for you," she said as she pulled with quavering hands the keys from a pocket in her dress.

I stood behind her waiting impatiently. I could sense Skeed and Vallye somewhere nearby and if I didn't run now…

"Ha! There you are!" said the woman, startling me, as the lock clicked and the door swung open. "You may set it down over there by the table.."

I nodded and started inside when from somewhere down the street, I heard the call that still to this day makes my heart sink when I remember it: "There you are, you pitiful, good-for-nothing scoundrel! We've been looking for you."

I didn't know what else to do but run, and so I did. "Hey! Wait! What are you doing?" I heard the old woman cry followed by the fast-pursuing footsteps of my brother and sister.

I quickly dashed down the next street, which, to my misfortune, was one of the busiest streets in Mintaka. Vallye and Skeed followed not far behind and, as they had never ceased to find clever ways to torment me, found just the perfect way to catch me. "Stop him!" shouted Skeed above the noise of the crowd and I felt all eyes on me. "He stole that poor old woman's basket!"

It was then that I looked down and saw the basket in my hands. I immediately dropped it as I fled as if I'd been holding a venomous snake, its contents spilling out and scattering everywhere as it rolled across the ground. I barely managed to trip over it, but it did not matter. I would not go much further until I saw a large, burly man directly in my path. By then, it was too late to do anything. Before I knew it, he held me by the wrist with a grip so tight, I felt the circulation leave my hand and it went cold. "Gotcha, you little imperial thief," he growled, a sneer etching itself across his face.

"Well done, my man," Skeed said as he waltzed nonchalantly towards me. The glare and the smug expression on his face was like driving a stake through my heart. I'd been caught, I couldn't believe I'd been caught.


	2. Part Two

Vallye came striding up behind him, wearing the same expression. The sight of the two of them together like that brought back to my mind all the torment they forced me to endure throughout my childhood. To remember those things even now was like living through all of it again and again. Sometimes I can still feel the welts and bruises on my arms and back that they had given me as well as the scar they had marked across the back of my shoulder with a knife. I still remember exactly how I'd gotten that scar, too. I'd refused to steal an imperial gun for them. I had only been twelve then, but it had not mattered to them.

"Well, well, well, little brother. It looks like we've finally got you again," Vallye

said sardonically. A quiet chuckle escaped from her lips. "It'll be just like old times. Only better."

"What do you want with me?" I demanded, all my old fears resurfacing once more.

"Ah-ah, Lyude. That's a surprise," my brother chided, snatching me from the man's grasp and leading me away down a deserted street. "You'll find out soon enough."

What evil plan did they have for me this time? I wondered. Tears of anger began forming in my eyes and all my pain from years past would not release me. "Why?" I croaked. "Why do you do these things to me?"

" 'Why,' you ask? Why do we do these things?" Vallye said. "Why do you think, brother? Hove we not told you before? You are nothing but a worm, scum, filth. You don't deserve to be loved."

Her last words pierced me like a sword and took all breath from me. Those were the same words I'd heard her spirit say back on the Phantom Goldoba! Skeed had said them, too. I did not doubt that he was thinking the same now. _Oh why?_ I thought to myself. _I tried…I tried…_

"I wish you both had died when those beasts of Cor Hydrae had been here," I said bitterly without realizing what I was saying. "I wish you were both dead."

Outraged, Skeed spun round and hit me hard in the stomach with the butt of his gun. I doubled over, clutching my stomach in agony, choking and gasping for breath. He then let go of my arm and let me fall to my hands and knees. "Don't you ever say that again, or you'll wish that _you_ were the one that was dead!" he barked and kicked me in the side so that my hands slipped and I facedown on the street.

"Now get up!" he demanded harshly, but I could only lie still.

"I said, 'Get up!'" he repeated and I felt his hand seize the back of my collar and pull me up, choking me as if I were being hung. I clawed desperately at my throat, but he would not let go.

"That's right, Lyude," my sister said as she moved to stand before me. "If you don't behave yourself, things like this will happen to you. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Good," she said and a wicked smile formed on her lips. "Now let him go, Skeed."

I felt air rush into my lungs once more as Skeed released his grip. I wanted so badly to hurt him back right then and give him a taste of what he had been giving me for so many years. And yet, I knew I couldn't do it, not because I was afraid, but because although he had been torturing me endlessly ever since I was a child, he was still my brother. For some reason, I found that I still loved him—and my sister as well. They were, after all, all that I had left of my family.

I wondered briefly if they'd ever change.

"Come on, runt," said Vallye, shoving me forward so that I tripped and fell once more. "This way."

Suddenly, I felt the weight of her footsteps as she walked across my back and stepped off my shoulder, giving me a bruise that would last for weeks. Skeed also stepped on my hand as he passed, crushing it beneath his boot. I winced in pain and he just laughed amusedly to himself. He'd done it on purpose, not to be spiteful, I realized. He'd known I could only fire my gun with that hand and now that it was broken, I could do nothing.

I got weakly to my feet, gently cradling my broken hand with the other, and followed after them. There was nothing else I could do.

They led me down the street towards the other edge of Mintaka, speaking to each other in hushed voices. Every once in a while, they glanced over their shoulders to see if I was still there.

Once we had reached the road that led out of the city, they stopped and waited for me. "Alright, Lyude," said my brother as I stood in front of them. "Do you want to know what our little surprise for you is? Well, once we've traveled some way out of the city, we'll tell you. But you must promise us one thing."

I sighed in resignation. "What is that?" As if I did not already know.

"You must promise us that you'll cooperate with us. And just to make sure," said Skeed as he pulled a magnus from out of his pocket. There was a bright flash and then I saw the length of rope he held in his hands. "We'll bind your hands and lead you from here on, not that you can do anything with your hands now…"

He handed the rope to Vallye and she bound my hands behind my back with it, tying it especially tight round my broken hand. I flinched and felt tears of pain welling up in my eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lyude. Does that _hurt_?" she said, cinching the knot even tighter, causing me to cry out in agony.

Skeed then took Vallye's place behind me, laughing at me while I bit my lip hard as the throbbing in my hand increased. "There, there, Lyude," he said, taking hold of my arm. "It doesn't hurt that bad, does it?"

I made no answer. I wanted to tell him that I hated him. I wanted to turn around and scream it in his face. But I couldn't. I hung my head low.

"Did you hear me?" Skeed snarled. "I asked you a question!" He then hit my hand with his gun as hard as he could.

The pain that shot through me was so great, I thought I would lose consciousness. It felt as if he'd dropped a large boulder on it. Once the pain subsided some, I nodded before he hit me again.

"Good," he replied. "It should hurt. And since you can't use that hand anymore, you won't be needing this!"

He then snatched my gun from off of my belt and tossed it over to Vallye.

"My gun!" I protested, but they ignored me.

"Now let's move," said Skeed.

Vallye nodded and led the way onto a path leading off the main road. Skeed followed behind, dragging me along by the arm.

We continued down the road until we came to a stop at the top of a great, black half-dome of rock just past Azha. "Alright, Lyude," said my sister, walking back towards Skeed and me. "Now that we're here, I suppose we should tell you what we're going to do."

The smile that emerged on her face made me dread even more what was about to come. "You see, Lyude, while you were off saving the world from Malpercio, Skeed and I took a trip to Anuenue and went to the library. Do you know what we found, dear brother?"

I shook my head slightly.

"We found a book that told of another god, one even more wicked and powerful than Malpercio. Now, no one knows about this god because no one's spoken of him for many an age. And you know what else? Malpercio was simply one of his puppets created simply so that everyone would forget that he even existed until the time was right. Now that Malpercio's gone, the time has come to awaken him and reintroduce him into the world. And this time, my dear, sweet brother, you and your friends won't be able to defeat him."

I was astounded. A god more wicked than Malpercio? I seemed impossible, especially considering that everyone had seemed to have forgotten him, one who was supposedly so powerful. And what did this have to do with me?

"You're probably wondering what this has to do with you," said Skeed. "Well, you see, to awaken this god, someone has to sing a certain song. But not anyone can sing, no. It will only work for the one who can sing with perfect pitch in a voice as clears as that of crystal wine glasses being played upon. We all know that neither Vallye nor I can sing like that, just you. For that is the one thing you have that we do not. How fortunate that Almarde made you take all those voice lessons, although they never did seem to do your speaking voice any good…"

"At any rate, now here you are. Now is your chance to put all those lessons to use!

"Vallye! The song!"

"No! You can't make me do this!" I pleaded in terror as Vallye unfolded a piece of worn paper and held it fluttering in the wind before my eyes.

"If you don't do it," Skeed threatened, taking my gun from Vallye, "it will be your life!"

Suddenly, I felt the barrel of my own gun being pressed against the back of my head.

"Now sing!" Vallye shouted.

I looked at the paper she held before me and began reading the music that was on it.

"Louder!" Skeed cried, pushing the gun harder against my skull.

"I obeyed and sang as strong and clear as I could the loathsome words written on the page:

Oh come to me, blessed Child of Shadow 

_Come, make your presence know to the City of Golden Streets_

_I beseech thee, O Bringer of Despair_

_O god of power and might,_

Whose dark minions shall inherit the earth 

It was a fell song to sing, written in D minor, the saddest, it is said, of all keys. Its very melody rent my heart and my soul. Never before had I felt such grief.

"Keep singing!" commanded Vallye, watching the rocks below.

The wind started howling madly.

And I kept singing though I thought I would be overcome by such woe. Skeed and Vallye had always tormented me, but I never thought that it would come to something like this. I could feel hot tears streaking my face, which must have matched now the color of my hair. Such was my sorrow and pain, and yet, I found that I could not stop singing.

"Yes! It's working! It's working!" I heard Skeed shout in glee.

Down below, I saw a wide, dark abyss open up and out of it stepped a creature more terrifying that anything I could imagine. It was as massive as the fortress outside of Mintaka and was as black as the deepest part of night. Its mere presence would have brought even the strongest of men to his knees. Malpercio himself would have fled from it, had it not been his master.

"At last! At last!" Vallye shouted madly. "Now everyone will bow down to the will of their new god!"

At those words, the creature spread its dark wings and leapt into the sky. The world became dark as if the sun had fallen from the sky and a fell wind stirred the air. I looked over my shoulder towards Mintaka, which only moments before had been shining golden in the sun. Now all had been turned to silver ash.

And this was my fault. If I had not existed, would Skeed and Vallye have been able to find someone to awaken the god for them?

They left me and ran back towards the city where I saw thee god alight with its great wings unfurled.

I fell to my knees and wept, wept for this world that now seemed lost beyond all hope. In that moment, I realized that what once was may never be again. Skeed and Vallye were right. Kalas, Xelha, Gibari, Mizuti, Savyna, and I, we could not save the world. Not this time.

And it was all because of me.

A/N: Sorry I had to leave ya with a cliffhanger there, but I thought it would be better that way. That and I didn't know where else to go after that. Major writer's block. If you want me to finish the story and you have some suggestions, I'd be more than happy to see them and I'll see what I can do. Also, just in case you're wondering, the reason Vallye and Skeed wanted to awaken the god is because he can grant them their inmost desires if they give up their souls to him and swear to be his servants forever. Also, after the fall of the Alfard Empire, they wanted something to replace it, something stronger and more powerful (and not to mention more threatening). I didn't explain that in the fic because I didn't know where to put it exactly without interrupting the flow of the story. So, I suppose that's all…for now…


	3. Part Three

A/N: Finally, I have written the next part of this story. Sorry it took so long, but I was busy and was having trouble thinking of where to take it next. I also want to thank all the reviewers so far. I'm glad you all like it! So without further ado…

Part 3

I had to do something. I could not just sit here and wallow in despair. But what could I possibly do against such a terrible entity?

First things first, I decided. I had to get some help or I would die right here. My hands still bound, I struggled to my feet and barely managed to do so. My head was spinning now and I began to doubt whether or not I would be able to make it. My hand started throbbing more intensely now. Even if I had any healing magnus with me, I would not have been able to use them, not with my hands tied like this. If I could just get to Azha, I might be able to find someone to heal me.

I took a step forward, my head reeling in protest. At this rate I would be fortunate to make it there at all. I took another step and then another, ignoring the world that was spinning before my eyes. I tried to focus on one thing and one thing only as I had been trained to do during my years in the military. I focused on the sound of my boots scrapping and thudding on the ground as I walked.

It seemed as if it had been weeks when I finally stumbled into Azha. But to my despair, the place seemed deserted. The only sounds were the clothes hung out to dry flapping in the wind and my ragged breathing. Someone had to be around somewhere. They could not have fled. Where did they have that they could go?

Their houses. But of course, of course.

So I started towards the nearest of the houses and entered into its cave-like corridors. For a moment, I stood at the bottom, looking up the incline towards a lit room at the top. There were sounds of movement and nervous voices. Good. At least someone was home.

Yet, for all my military training, I could not find the strength in me to walk up there. My sight began to dim and I struggled to hold onto my consciousness.

Then I faintly saw someone walk by and stop in the doorway, seeing me for the first time. "Please…" I said hoarsely. "Please help…me…"

Then all went dark and I knew no more.

* * *

"No, he isn't dead. He's breathing, but only barely." 

"Thank goodness we found him. It looks like we were right to look for him here."

"The poor kid. I wonder what happened to him. He looks awful."

Voices. I knew those voices somehow, but they seemed so distant, as if from a dream.

"I'm sorry we couldn't help him," said one of the voices. This one I didn't recognize. "We're out of healing magnus."

"That's quite alright," replied another voice, a female. Xelha? "I've got plenty. It'll only take a moment."

"Let's just hope it works," replied another voice, male this time. Was that Kalas?

I felt a hand, that of the woman's, I believe, slide under me and gently lift me up. My head fell limply back. I moaned quietly. "He's definitely seen better days," said the voice that sounded like Kalas.

I then felt the edge of a cup touch against my cracked lips and a warm, sweet liquid trickle down my throat. I was laid carefully back down.

"There. That should do it," said the voice that I thought was Xelha's. "He should be fine within a half hour or so."

As she spoke those words, my mind began to fade once more and sleep came and took me.

* * *

Sometime later, I opened my eyes to see a rocky ceiling above me, the light of torches flickering across its surface. Somewhere nearby, I could hear hushed voices speaking to one another. Slowly and carefully I propped myself up on my elbows and found that my hand had been healed as well as all the bruises my brother and sister had given me. 

"Look! He's awake!" someone shouted.

A woman whom I had never met came and knelt beside my bed. "Let me see your hand," she said, taking it and inspecting it by pressing it between her fingers. "It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

"No," I answered. "It's fine now."

Then the all-too-familiar faces of Kalas and Xelha came into my view. "Good t' see ya again," said Kalas, smirking.

"How are you?" asked Xelha, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Have you seen it?" was all I could say. "The darkness, the fell beast that has alighted in Mintaka?"

Their smiles faded. The woman left to busy herself with something else. "Yes, we saw it," said Xelha solemnly. "All the nations have seen it. Its darkness has cast its shadow over all the earth."

"Lyude, can you tell us anything about it?" Kalas asked.

For a moment, I hesitated. The memory of what happened came back and assaulted me. I could feel tears forming at the corners of my eyes. What had I done?

"Oh my…"said Xelha at seeing my reaction. "Here, let's go get something to drink." She stood up and took my hand, helping me up.

We went to sit at a table in an adjacent room. The woman came in and set three cups of tea in front of us. I thanked her and tried to smile. I picked up one of the cups and took a few sips before I spoke. Xelha and Kalas waited.

"I…I don't understand," I said finally, hanging my head low so that my scarlet hair hung before my eyes. So many thoughts and questions whirled around my mind. I hardly knew where to begin.

"What don't you understand?" Kalas asked a bit harshly. He was always so impatient.

"Kalas!" Xelha reprimanded, glaring at him. "Can't you see something terrible has happened to him? Let him take some time to sort things out, alright?" She then turned back to me. "Okay, Lyude, please continue."

"Well," I said. "It started when I overheard my brother and sister talking about awakening an ancient god more powerful than Malpercio, but they needed someone to sing a certain song that would summon it from its sleep. They needed someone who could sing with perfect pitch and tone. They needed me. I ran from there as fast as I could, hoping that I might escape them, but they eventually caught me and took me to the dark lands beyond Azha where the god would be awakenedthis not before they'd given me some bruises, taken my gun, and broken my hand.

"Once we got there, they made me sing, pointing my own gun at my head. So I sang and the god was awakened." I hung my head lower.

Xelha gasped. "You sang for them? Lyude, that doesn't sound like you!"

"I don't know why I did it. I know they would not have shot me, cold that their hearts may be. I knew that, but I sang anyway.

"But why did I sing, why? Perhaps some part of me hoped that by singing, I could have shown them they were wrong, shown them that they were chasing after a lie. I don't know. I don't know."

For a moment, there was silence as all Xelha and Kalas could do was stare at me.

"You weren't under hypnosis again, were you?" asked Xelha.

"It may be possible, but no, I do not think so."

"At any rate," said Kalas, "the god is here no matter the reason why you sang, and something has to be done about it."

"You are right, but what are we to do? We know nothing of this god, not even his name. How are we to defeat him?"

"I know just the person," said Kalas, a smirk on his face. "Let's go."

End Part 3

* * *

A/N: Part 3 finally finished! That makes me happy! It's kinda short, though. :shrugs: And hopefully I will find the time to continue this. For now, you'll just have to be patient with me. So until next time, farewell! 


	4. Part Four

A/N: Yay, I finally finished the next part! And thanks to all my reviewers so far!

Part 4 (Note: Beware of major spoilers in this chapter. If you have not beaten the game, read on at your own risk.) 

"Are you sure she would know?" I asked Kalas as we landed in Mira and made our way towards Balancoire and Duke Calbren's manor.

"Trust me, Lyude, she would know. I worked for her once, remember? I learned a great deal about her during that time."

As we stood waiting for someone to answer the door, I looked out towards the surrounding sky and noted that the shadow had fallen here, too, though Mira was still floating in space, caught between two dimensions, unable to fall to earth with the rest of the islands.

"Why, Kalas! It's you!" came Melodia's voice, snapping me back to reality.

Kalas greeted her with a hug. "It's good to see you again, too, Melodia," he replied. "But we'll have to skip the formalities and cut right to the chase. You've seen the darkness that covers the lands below, right?"

Melodia nodded solemnly. "It is an evil more wicked than Malpercio: the Nameless Darkness. Its power is ten times the might of Malpercio. You could not hope to defeat it."

_You could not hope to defeat it._ I felt my spirit sink lower at those words. "But there must be a way!" I protested. "There is no such thing as an evil that cannot be defeated!"

Stunned for a moment at my words, Melodia turned her eyes upon me and hesitated to speak. Her gaze was piercing and I felt as if she were weighing me, judging me. As she held me in her stare, I trembled—so powerful it was.

At last she spoke, saying, "There is a way, but…" she paused, turning her head back towards Kalas, her gaze lingering for a moment on me before it set on Kalas once more, "…only the one responsible for awakening the god can do it, and _he_ requires a certain magnus to do so."

I noticed her deliberate emphasis if the word "he." Did she know that I was the one who awoke the god?

"W-what magnus would that be?" I asked. "Where can we find it?"

"It is called 'Risoluto.'" Her eyes snapped back on me, her gaze locking with mine so that I could not look away. "It can be found, Lyude, on an island hidden deep beneath the ocean. But unless you can find some help, you cannot get to it."

"I can help him," said Xelha. "I was, after all, the Ice Queen."

"So you were. Perhaps you can help him."

"I would be honored to."

Those words made me smile. I was glad to have friends who would help me even when I was the reason that such a great wickedness was released on the world. "And I am honored to have you join me, Xelha," I said, bowing graciously.

"You always were the classy one," Kalas snorted. "Even when you're down, you have to behave so properly."

"I think I will take that as a compliment."

"Of course you would. You need all the compliments you can get," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing, just that I guess I'm coming, too. You need all the help you can get."

"Then I am honored to have you join me as well," I replied again, bowing.

Kalas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it."

"Good," said Melodia, "but I do not think the three of you alone will be enough. There is a guardian that watches over this magnus whom you will have to defeat, and he is not one to go down easily."

"Then we'll just ask the others to help us, right? We can get the whole gang back together again!" Kalas said.

Melodia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "They would help, but even so, they may not be enough. Besides, Lyude has to be the one to deliver the final blow."

Kalas laughed. "That'll be easy enough, won't it? We just let him attack when the guardian looks weak."

As soon as he asked this question, I dreaded the answer.

"Yes…providing of course that you can all survive for that long."

Kalas' smile faded.

"Bring plenty of healing magnus, you will need it." As she said this, there was a foreboding look in her eyes, an omen of what was to come.

Suddenly, I wished that it were someone else that had to go on this quest, not me.

"We'll be sure to do that, Melodia," said Kalas. "Alright, you two, let's go."

* * *

"So where are we going first?" asked Xelha as we all climbed up onto the White Dragon.

"I would go to Anuenue—to find Savyna. It is the nearest, after all," I answered, finding a secure place to sit.

"Anuenue it is, then," agreed Kalas. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

What we saw when we landed at the port wasn't the Anuenue we had always known. Gone were the deep greens and bright reds of the flowers, and gone was light from this land. Everything seemed dull and faded, colored with shades of grey. In the sky, the sun had all but vanished behind a dark cloud.

"My…" said Xelha. "Look at this place."

"It seems all cheer has fled from it," I said as we walked towards Opu.

"I think we can see that, Lyude," said Kalas bitterly. He turned and glared at me.

"Kalas!" said Xelha. "What is with you lately? First, you were being impatient with him back in Azha, you weren't being too nice to him in Balancoire, and now you're being rude to him here. Why do you have a problem with him all of the sudden?"

"Because he's the reason we're in this mess!"

Shocked, Xelha and I could say nothing. That remark wounded me deeply. All I could do was gape at him. What caused him to say such a thing? "Kalas…" I said quietly. "I…I'm…"

"Kalas, what's gotten into you?" asked Xelha.

Kalas glared at the two of us for a moment before his demeanor inexplicably shifted again, and his gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Lyude," he sighed resignedly, turning and heading into Opu.

"That's better," Xelha replied, the two of us following him down the path.

I couldn't stop wondering why Kalas was behaving so strangely. I dearly hoped he wasn't going to betray us as he had when we were searching for the end magnus.

Once inside the village I noticed that aside from the dullness of the colors and the darkness of the sky that something was amiss. It was too silent. No birds chirped from hidden places in the foliage. No children ran about playing games. No dogs barked and no one stood outside and conversed. Even the thundering waterfall seemed oddly muted. Just like Azha, it seemed the place had been deserted.

"I wonder where everyone has gone," said Xelha as we crossed the bridge and made our way towards Savyna's house.

"I just hope that Savyna's still here," Kalas said, walking up to the door.

He knocked on it and we heard a voice answer, "Come in."

We stepped inside to see Savyna sitting near the window, gazing outside as if thinking deeply about something.

"Hey, Savyna," Kalas greeted.

"I'm afraid, Kalas, that this isn't a good time for me to talk."

"But we need you, Savyna," I implored. "A wicked god more powerful than Malpercio has arisen and dwells now in Mintaka. We must bring him down."

"You forgot to mention that you were the one responsible for that," Kalas snapped.

I flinched, feeling guilt bite at my spirit. He was right. It was my fault, all my fault. Why had I sung that loathsome song? Why?

"Kalas!" Xelha shouted scornfully. "I've about had it with those remarks! Try to show him some compassion."

Savyna turned and looked hard at me as if she could not quite accept what she had just heard. "You're the reason for all of this? You're the one responsible?"

The way she asked the question made it sound more like an accusation and it stung me. I hung my head low. "Yes," I admitted quietly. "I am indeed the one who awoke the god. My brother and sister forced me to sing the song that would awaken it and I did, though now I wonder why."

"Hmm…" Savyna replied. I could feel her scrutinizing gaze upon me.

"It's not all your fault, Lyude," Xelha tried to console. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

"You're wrong, Xelha. I didn't have to sing. I could have kept silent and the Nameless Darkness would have remained in its slumber."

"Lyude…" she sighed, shaking her head.

"So why do you need my help?" asked Savyna, getting up and walking towards us. "Are we to face this god?"

"Eventually, yes," I answered sadly. "But first, I need to retrieve a certain magnus. There is a guardian there, so Melodia has told us, that keeps watch over it, and we need you, as well as Mizuti and Gibari, to help us."

Savyna stood there and thought for a moment, just staring hard at me as if she suspected me of something. What she suspected me of, I do not know. At length, she replied, "I will go with you. Something has to be done to get rid of the wicked god and I wish to help you."

"I knew you couldn't resist," said Kalas, smiling. "Now let's go find the others."

As I walked past Savyna towards the door, I saw a dark look in her eyes and I heard her mutter, "You'll pay for dragging me into this, Lyude."

End Part 4

A/N: Ah, alas! For I have come to the end of another chapter. What's up with Savyna and that last remark? The answer I shall reveal to you in coming chapters.

I'm afraid there was a bit more dialogue in this chapter than I would have liked, but meh…I think it was needed. Anyway, I will work on the next chapter when I can. Until then¡adios!


	5. Part Five

A/N: It's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Anywho, without further ado, the next chapter.

Part 5

"Savyna," I said as we walked behind Xelha and Kalas into Nashira. The smell of fish was particularly strong today. "Savyna, you have not spoken a word to me since we left Opu Village. And you've done nothing but glare at me. What have I done to deserve such ire from you?"

Savyna looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Besides releasing the greatest evil this world has yet seen? Nothing."

"But I didn't, I mean…I…my brother and sister…they—"

"Don't make up excuses, Lyude," Savyna said dangerously. "You know that this is all your fault."

I could not disagree with that last statement. "Yes," I admitted sadly, my shoulders sagging and my head hanging low. "Yes, it was my fault…my fault. I'm…sorry."

"Apologies shall not do you any good now, Lyude," she said, striding ahead of me. "This is some mess you've created and because of it, the rest of us are being dragged into it. You seem to have an affinity for getting into trouble and I'm tired of being involved in it."

"I'm sorry, Savyna," I said, looking up and brushing a few strands of crimson hair from my face. "Can you at least forgive me?"

Savyna stopped and looked sternly at me. "No. For awakening this god and bringing the greatest of evil to this place, I cannot forgive you. You are worthless. You are scum. You are lower than dirt upon the earth. You cause more problems than you solve. This world would be better off had you never been born."

She then walked off.

I flinched at every harsh word she had said. At the same time, everything she had said was justified, and she was right—if I had never existed, would Almarde have died so needlessly? Would Ayme have gotten that End Magnus? Would this great evil that was now here have been awakened?

I _had_ created many problems, I realized. I understood now why I was so hated, so despised, why my own siblings loathed my very being.

Yet, were my mistakes any reason for Savyna to behave with such hostility towards me?

"Lyude?" came Xelha's concerned voice, snapping my mind back to reality. At least there was one person who seemed to care about me. "Lyude, are you alright?"

"I'm just…I'm…" I sighed. "Yes. Yes, I am fine. I was simply pondering the current situation."

Xelha smiled sadly. "You think too much. I really worry about you."

I tried to smile back and lay a hand on her shoulder. "I am grateful I have at least one friend."

"Hey!" Kalas called from up ahead. "You guys coming or what?"

"We're coming, Kalas!" Xelha called back and then turned towards me once more, gently squeezing my hand with her own. "I don't know why the others are behaving so rudely to you, but I promise I will always be there for you even when they are not. Now come, let's go find Gibari."

* * *

"Kalas! Nice to see you again, buddy! And Xelha, Savyna! What're you guys doing here?" said Gibari, playfully slapping Kalas on the back. I thought it odd that he did not say my name. Was it out of animosity or had he simply not noticed me yet? 

"Lyude's here, too, Gibari," Xelha answered.

"How are things in Diadem?" I asked.

"Nice to see you, too," Gibari replied, but the way he said it sounded forced. He gave me a strange look—an accusing look.

Now Gibari was angry with me? What was going on? Yes, I had awakened the god. Yes, the reason the world was under the shadow of the greatest embodiment of evil was because of me, but what right did he and Kalas and Savyna have to be so hostile towards me? Had the idea of forgiveness not crossed their minds?

"Let me guess why you're all here," Gibari said, folding his arms and taking on a more serious demeanor. "It's about this mess Lyude's caused, isn't it?"

Xelha seemed taken aback for a moment. "Well…yes, but how did you know it was Lyude who released this present darkness?"

"How else?" Gibari looked both smug and irritated. "Every major problem in the past was due to his actions. _He_ tossed the End Magnus to Ayme. _He_ got himself exiled. _He_—"

"Stop it, Gibari!" I shrieked angrily. The whole of Anna's bar ceased it's activity and turned it's eyes on me.

But I ignored them.

"I was exiled because I was fighting for the people of Azha. Where is the wrong in that? I was defending their lives! It wasn't my fault I tossed the End Magnus to Ayme! I was under hypnosis! I admit I did release the wicked god—"

Everyone in the room gasped.

"—and I could have stopped it, but I'm truly sorry for what I've done. Is that not enough? You've made a plethora of mistakes in the past, too, I'm sure. So why are you so bent on blaming me?"

"Yes, Lyude, I've made mistakes, but I don't think all of them combined could equal the ones you've made. What you've done—releasing this…plague upon us—that's something that you won't easily find forgiveness for."

"Do you know what, Gibari?" I said through gritted teeth, shoving his shoulder with my fingertips. I could feel everyone watching with baited breath. "I had _never_ respected you. You have always gotten on my nerves what with all your boasting and bragging every time we were in Diadem—just as you're doing now!"

"Lyude!" Xelha cried, stepping between us. I could not ignore the astonished look on her face. It was as if I'd just said that I was the one who had murdered Almarde. "What's the matter with you?"

I felt my face harden into an enraged grimace. "What's the matter with me?" I raged. "Shouldn't you be asking that of the others? They're the ones who refuse to show forgiveness and compassion for me. I always thought in the back of my mind that I would do better without them and now I see why. They hate me just as everyone else does. What can I do but return that hatred?"

For a moment, Xelha did not reply and only stood staring open-mouthed at me. "Lyude," she finally said, quietly, "this is not like you at all. I'm appalled that you'd say such things. Why, Lyude?"

For the first time, I noticed there was pain in her eyes as she spoke to me. All of the sudden, I felt a great shame wash over me and I was no longer angry. "I…I don't know," I croaked. "I don't know why I just said those things, Xelha. It was as if something had taken control of me. I am just…weary of hearing so many accusations against me."

By now everyone in the bar had returned to their business.

"I understand, Lyude, but still, I have never seen you behave in such a way before," said Xelha.

I sighed remorsefully. "I know. I know."

Then Kalas interrupted, "I hate to break up this little 'moment' you're having, but don't you think it's about time we got going? We still need to find Mizuti."

"Yes, of course," Xelha answered back. "You're coming with us, aren't you Gibari?"

Gibari shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do. I might as well."

"Good," said Savyna. "Let's get going. We've got no time to lose."

"I wish we'd never been dragged into this in the first place," Gibari growled as we left. He gave me an ill-favored look.


	6. Part Six

Another chapter finally here! I'm sorry for neglecting this story for so long…

Part 6

After having bought a few healing magnus at Diadem, we left for Duhr. Gibari, Kalas, and Savyna all did their best to ignore me. They even went so far as to stay as far away from me as possible—which was just as well. I had no desire to speak to them anyway, not when they hated me so. Quite frankly, I didn't want to be anywhere near them either. Wait…what was I saying? They were my friends, and I still liked them even when they despised me.

I have suspected ever since Opu Village that my friends' hostility towards me had something to do with the awakening of the wicked god. Surely it was because of his darkness that they behaved so. But then why did it not affect Xelha? It even affected me—I had snapped more than my fair share of times at my friends—but not her. Why?

"Lyude?" a voice said, interrupting my contemplations. It was Xelha. "Lyude, we're here. Let's go find Mizuti."

I simply nodded and climbed down off of the dragon. The sky was dark here as well, but that was how the sky in Duhr always was—or at least had been. Did that cloud that once hung over it vanish when the other islands sank back down to earth? Then the darkness of the god must have spread here as well, although it was difficult to tell. The swirling, tumultuous clouds above looked just as they had the first time I had been here.

I could only hope that if the darkness had spread here, Mizuti had not been affected. I did not know what I would do if I found that another of my friends despised me.

"Don't worry, Lyude," said Xelha, as if she had read my mind. "Mizuti will not have changed…not like the others have." She looked ahead at Gibari, Savyna and Kalas, eyeing them disapprovingly. "You know," she added, "they've begun saying mean things to each other as well. Right now, they even refuse to speak to one another."

Indeed. I noticed they walked as far apart as possible, trying to pretend the others—myself included—were not there. "But do they still speak to you? Do they still like you?" I wondered.

"No, they refuse to speak to me as well. They have said nothing hurtful to me, but nevertheless, they will not talk to me. They seem to resent me, at the moment, as much as they resent you," Xelha answered.

"Strange," I muttered. "Well, if Mizuti is indeed herself, perhaps she will know the answer?"

Xelha smiled. "She _is _the "Great" Mizuti."

"So she is," I smile back. "So she is."

* * *

The wind gusted fiercely atop Zozma Tower, whipping our hair about our faces. Mizuti's parents had told us earlier that we would find her here and so we had climbed our way up to the top as we had done in what seemed like ages ago. And there she was, just as they said she'd be, staring up at the sky with her back to us. At the sound of our footsteps, she turned around. "Ah" she said, "the Great Mizuti's friends have returned. What be you needing?"

"We need you, Mizuti," Xelha said.

"Yeah, like I need a hole in my head, "Kalas mumbled.

No one seemed to hear him.

"Yes," Mizuti answered Xelha. "The Great Mizuti be waiting long for you here. Minutes. Hours. Days."

My eyebrows went up. "Days? How did you know we were going to come and look for you?"

"The Great Mizuti knows many things."

Somewhere behind me, Gibari grunted, "Heh. Then maybe you know why Red over here realeased a wicked god and dragged all of us into this mess."

"It not be his fault if he released the god."

I sighed to myself in relief. It seemed Xelha was right. Mizuti still thought well of me.

Kalas rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Oh, then whose fault is it, hmm?"

"Kalas! You know what happened!" Xelha reproached. "Skeed and Vallye forced him to!"

_But I could have refused to help them_, I thought.

Mizuti said nothing for a moment. I couldn't tell if she was shocked or angry. "Lyude's siblings made him do it? They be cruel. Unkind. Despicable!"

"But Lyude could have said no to them, "Savyna pointed out as if she had known what I was thinking. "It _was_ his fault."

"No! It wasn't!" I shouted. "I—"

"Could have stopped them?" Savyna replied coolly. "Then why didn't you?"

"I…I don't know." My hair blew into my face, whipped back, and then flew once more into my eyes as the wind kept shifting direction.

Apparently, through the few glimpses of my face she had between wind gusts, Mizuti saw the pain in my eyes, for she said, "The Great Mizuti wishes to talk to Lyude alone."

"Maybe we should ditch 'em," Kalas whispered to Xelha. As they walked off, I could hear her loudly reprimanding him above the wind.

"Now," Mizuti began, once they had gone, "tell the Great Mizuti what happened.

I told her. I told her everything and as I did, the pain of that memory haunted me. It felt as if I was reliving the whole thing again as I related it to her.

"Ah," Mizuti replied when I had finally finished, "that be a terrible thing that your siblings did to you, but the Great Mizuti does not think it be your fault."

"But why were they so forceful to me? I know they had never loved me, but never were they so hateful towards me as they were that day."

"The Great Mizuti cannot be sure."

_The Great Mizuti does not know as much as she professes_, I thought bitterly to myself. No! Why was I thinking such things?

"Great Mizuti, do you know why the others are behaving so strangely? Even I have started to behave like them. My thoughts of them are often angry and resentful as of late. Why, Great Mizuti? Do you know?"

Mizuti hovered in place for a moment as if trying to remember something, her clog-adorned feet dangling in the air. "Yes," she finally answered. "The Great Mizuti knows that he darkness be causing Lyude and the others to be mean to each other."

As I had suspected. "But then why has it not seemed to affect Xelha? She is the only one that does not insult, belittle, and ignore everyone else. If she snaps at one of us, it is simply because we had started attacking one another."

"It is because she does not think mean things of anyone else."

"What?"

"This darkness, it be making people say all the bad things they have ever thought of others. Lyude's friends be annoyed with him before and with each other, but they never be speaking these things, not until the wicked god be released. Lyude be thinking badly of his friends sometimes, too. So he also be saying these things. Now all of you be speaking your true feelings—the hateful ones, at least. The darkness suppresses all good thoughts of other people. Except for Xelha. She not be thinking anything bad of us. She never be irritated by us."

"But she yells at the others for being so mean to me. Does that not mean she is annoyed with them? Then why doesn't she behave as they do?"

"It be because she still likes them even if they be mean. She knows they cannot help what they say. As long as the darkness be covering the world, they will be like that."

This was going t be a difficult journey indeed if that were true. I dreaded to think of what would happen during the fight with the wicked god if we were to angry at one another to work together.

TBC…


End file.
